A first-time mom adjusting to her new everything

Category Archives: Living with baby

Game on, Widget. I see you there, trying to look cute so I’ll forgive you for the fussing you’ve done all day for the last week. Oh yes, and the grabbing your spoon to gnaw on in the most diabolical plan ever conceived for avoiding eating. You should want to eat the delicious puree I have made for you, from scratch. SCRATCH.

I see you looking at me with the saddest face ever, putting your tongue out of your mouth as far as it will go, foiling my attempt to look at your gums. But the joke’s on you. I moved faster than you, and I saw that canker sore-looking blister. I know that means you are getting your first tooth. Clearly this means I am doing a superior job keeping you from dying, as you are alive to erupt a tooth.

But I make no promises if you continue this behavior, combined with the amount of cling static will envy. In particular, I make no promises for your father, who just last night tried to clip your pacifier to your clothes (I keep telling him it’s unnecessary in the house but he doesn’t listen) and instead clipped it to your skin. I completely agree with you wailing and crying for 15 minutes because of that. I’ve pinched myself with it and that thing hurts. Just remember your father did that, and that it’s rude to take out fury on innocent bystanders who also produce your main source of food. Don’t bite the boob that feeds you.

In summation, you have many reasons to be cranky. But so do I. Bring it, for I shall win this battle royale. I have the patience which you have yet to dream of, and I WILL wait you out.

And with summer, many changes. More vomit, for one. Widget has starting rolling to his stomach with a vengeance, often right after eating. He hasn’t yet figured out that this upsets his tummy and so we are back to spitting up 5 times a day. At least he’s developing, right? I seriously think he’s going to figure out how to barrel roll soon and then who knows where I’ll find him after leaving him for 45 seconds to use the bathroom.

The other big change (for me, not Widget) is in his attire. You might recall that I don’t really put him in clothes. Now that it’s reliably warm here in the Carolinas, that is not the case! He wears rompers now, instead of footies. Since a lot of them come with real collars and everything, this means it’s clothes. HA.

Health-wise, we had an appointment with a urologist because of some stuff with his kidney. All is well. But at his 4 month check up, I guess the doctor was taken aback by some of his characteristics. He’s already 27.5 inches long, but only weighs 14 pounds. That’s about the 97th percentile for height, and 13th percentile for weight. He’s always been long and skinny, but the huge disparity is concerning to the pediatrician. The other thing is that apparently my child sleeps too much to be normal.

Seriously. I’ll put him to bed at 8pm and he’ll sleep straight until 6:30am. He does not cry during the night to be fed. This is “very atypical” according to his doctor. So on the doctor’s advice, we tried waking him to feed him; previously, we dropped the night feeds because he wouldn’t want to eat, and then after he had half an ounce he’d fuss for an hour trying to fall back asleep. Not fun for anyone.

When we tried waking him at 11pm this week, same cycle. Fussing for an hour after eating 4 ounces, and then up every hour to fuss more, but not from hunger. That is not my gig. I’ve decided that I’m going to just feed him every 2 and a half hours instead, and let him sleep at night the way he wants. I can’t do these nights.

…when I walked into Widget’s room this morning at 3am, after he woke me scrying (his scream/cry hybrid). He was lying there on his tummy, with his face mashed into the side of his crib. Not a good feeling.

He’s been rolling onto his side a lot the last few days, and apparently he’s figured out the last 90 degrees. I’m not sure if he can do it reliably yet or not, but still. Add to this that he never seems to want to roll from his tummy to his back (I’ve seen him do it, he just doesn’t do it often). Rather, when he’s done with tummy time, he buries his face into the floor and cries.

So the order of business, after I took care of his immediate needs and he was back in bed:

Purchase a new baby monitor with video. Stupid, perhaps, but it keeps me from having anxiety through the roof. Pay extra for 1-day shipping.

Google that shit. Attempt to discern if advice found is relevant, given the assumption the baby is 6 months old instead of 3

Decide advice from Google is B.S. even though some comes from people with credentials

Call pediatrician at 8:00:01 am (they open at 8). Leave a message with the triage nurse.

I see that little white cap of a tooth. Yes, you’re 3 months. I know, you’ve had that white cap ever since you were 5 weeks old. But really, it’s decision time. Either teethe the tooth already, or stop drooling.

Seriously.

It’s excessive when I hold you for one minute on my shoulder and have a wet mark the size of a kiwi, with absolutely no vomit in it. It’s excessive when you can’t lay on the floor for 10 minutes without gagging on your own saliva.

Not only that, but it makes me sad to hear you constantly coughing because you can’t swallow the drool fast enough.

So, that being said, let’s decide to either shut off the water main or get the tooth out so the drool lightens up. I expect your answer by end-of-business tomorrow.

Love,
Mama

P.S. – There is absolutely nothing true about the fact I want to keep typing “droll” instead of “drool”. This situation is not droll, nor does it look to become so at any point in the future.